1. a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position.

2. the act or process of making socialistic: the socialization of industry.

Socialization – one of the single biggest reasons notto homeschool cited by experts and non-experts alike.

Makes me laugh.

True Story

Setting: a child’s birthday party

Characters: family members and friends, including two teenage girls (same age) one who is home educated and the other goes to a public high school.

During the course of the party, the home educated teen converses easily with all party attendees, from grandparents to the young children.The public high school teen cannot take her eyes off her phone. She has no conversation with anyone else at the party, just texts her friends and sits in the corner.

Which one is socialized?According to the definition, the home educated teen has acquired her personal identity and has learned the norms, values, behaviors and social skills appropriate for her social position, aka real life, as evidenced by her ability to interact with the actual people in the room appropriately.The public school teen has not acquired a personal identity apart from her cell phone and has not learned social norms, values or behaviors required to be a member of a society, aka a birthday party.

The home educated young woman and others try to talk with the public educated teen but receive only grunts and eye rolls in reply.Who can communicate effectively?

This story, although true, is anecdotal and I understand this.I am not trying to oversimplify here.I do know of home educated kids who are as backward as the day is long, but I also know kids who go to school who exhibit the same backwardness.I also know of homeschooled kids who would possibly benefit from a school setting because, in these cases, I really do think it’s the parents who are the problem.